The Gift of the Goddess
by CloudStrife1992
Summary: A CloudXAeris fic that begins 6 months after Dirge of Cerberus. Genesis has revived, and he has a debt that he must repay. The planet senses danger, and asks the last Cetra for aid. What does the Gift of the Goddess mean for the world, and for Cloud?
1. Conflicting Emotions

_I don't own the characters. Square Enix does._

_This fic is a practice in many things for me, so critique is very welcome._

_This particular chapter (or prologue) was hard for me to write, since I don't have much of an idea of where the story is currently headed, but these little pieces were necessary to start the story. It would have been weird to just start with what's going to happen next (even though I don't really know what that is)._

_My comments on the chapter are at the bottom._

_**UPDATE: 5/15/09**_

_Just read more information on Genesis, so I've changed his part in the prologue to fit canon better._

_**UPDATE: 5/11/09**_

_After reading someone's comments on the bad characterizations all too often seen in FFVII fanfics, which included comments on resurrecting Aeris, I realized what had been missing from this chapter. I've added several lines onto Aeris's part that hopefully make her coming back to life a bit more realistic._

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* * *

Why she hadn't melded with the planet yet, she didn't know. Deepground had been finished off six months earlier, and Sephiroth had been defeated again a year before that. Sephiroth's consciousness had become quiet, though it hadn't vanished, and she didn't think it ever would. The man was determined to remain himself, but the possibility of him returning to physical form once again was low, from what she could tell of his mind. If Sephiroth was defeated for good, she had no reason to remain herself.

But then she chuckled, as she did every time she thought that. Yes she did: she enjoyed watching Cloud live his life. Being with him in spirit was the next best thing to being with him in physical form. But Cloud was moving on and he didn't need her like he had before, and even though she knew it was impossible to return to him, she couldn't help but feel a longing to be with him at every moment. Her heart ached, even as the part of her imagination that it was.

Melding with the planet would be easier on her. She wasn't scared of it, why would she be? She just didn't want to yet. A part of her did, just as a part of her wanted to wait around in the lifestream until Cloud died and joined it as well, but she knew that wasn't right.

Cloud wasn't the only reason she hadn't melded yet, she realized then. Something was pulling at her mind, warning her: _there is still something that will hurt the planet. Your job isn't over yet._

It was the planet. Had she been ignoring it all this time? It seemed like she'd been hearing it over and over, but hadn't wanted to listen. She didn't want Cloud to have to deal with anything else. He'd gone through enough, and so she'd ignored the warnings.

_Hello?_ She sent the question through the lifestream, toward the place she instinctively knew would hear it. It wasn't a word, that's not how the Cetra communicated with the planet. It was a thought without form, but with a clear meaning. _I'm sorry, have you been trying to contact me?_

_I have_. Came the response. The planet's thoughts always made her shiver. They echoed with the age and wisdom it held. _Do not worry, up till now it has not been urgent. _

_Until now?_ She asked.

_Yes. _There was a pause and she patiently waited. _You never learned of Genesis in your lifetime. _

_Who is he? _

_Someone who has many similarities, yet many differences, to Sephiroth. _

She felt a hint of panic. Another Sephiroth?

_His similarities are in his upbringing, but he despises Jenova, unlike Sephiroth. _The planet clarified for her.

Relaxing slightly, but still worried, she asked, _then what is he planning?_

_Nothing. In fact, he may even help. _

Now she was confused. _Then what do you need me for?_

_The new threat lies in Jenova herself. Genesis wants to project me, but he cannot do it alone. _

_I'm afraid I still don't understand why you need me._

Something like the mental version of a smile made it's way to her from the planet. _Genesis is no ancient, my dear child. You are the only one who can communicate with me._

_But I can't speak to the rest of them… _And then she realized what the planet meant to do. She smiled, and in her mind, she saw Cloud smiling too.

_Will you go back?_ The planet asked.

She hesitated, thinking it through before making a decision. It was true, she wanted to be with Cloud, for him even more than herself, but there was peace in being dead. She didn't have to worry about pain, or making a living, or anything else that the living did. And also as a Cetra, she didn't want to interfere with the way of life. Cloud was getting over her, though she knew he still loved her. In a few years, he might even recover enough to find someone else. If that happened, Aeris knew she wouldn't be jealous; she wouldn't want him to miss out on that part of life just because she wasn't there. A part of her wanted to remain in the lifestream. Though she didn't think Sephiroth would be much of a problem again, what if she was wrong?

_Do not worry about that man. _The planet told her gently. _The greatest danger will be on the surface, and that's where you could provide the most help, but I will only send you back if you agree to it._

She sighed. The planet needed her, and she did want to be with Cloud. She felt like they had missed out on so much last time. She wanted another chance.

And anyway, if the planet needed her help, how could she refuse and not feel guilty for the rest of her existence?

_I'll go._ She said finally.

* * *

Genesis sat by the fire in their camp. He couldn't sleep. He had returned, as he always knew he would, but now what was he supposed to do? The goddess had healed him, cleansed him of the Jenova cells that had nearly claimed life, and he had to repay that debt. He'd sealed himself in that cavern to wait for the day when he would be needed again, but why had he awoken now? The Deepground Incident had ended just before he'd woken, and he'd nearly sealed himself up again upon learning that. But there had to be a reason he'd woken up when he did. The goddess had healed him for a reason, but what?

He wasn't sure what the reason for Weiss was either. He knew that Weiss shared his own cells, and maybe that was it. Did he have a responsibility to this man because of that. But then why had he been able to revive him? The man had been all but dead in the cavern where he'd woken. There had to be another reason.

The past six months had been spent searching for a way to help the goddess, but so far he'd found nothing. So did he keep looking? He didn't know what else to do, but wandering the planet aimlessly wasn't something he particularly liked the idea of. If only he could ask the goddess what she wanted.

He sighed, reciting loveless again in his head as he did once in a while. Perhaps there was still something hidden in its rhymes and riddles, something he hadn't seen before when he'd been concentrating on healing his body. He turned the lines over in his head, searching each word and phrase for hidden meanings. He broke them apart, seeing if there was a puzzle there to be solved, then put them back together again and tried to look at them as if he'd never seen them before.

The Gift of the Goddess.

Sighing again, he finally lay down and closed his eyes. Whatever he was meant to do, he'd better get some rest.

* * *

Sephiroth had been watching him since he'd woken. There was something about him that was familiar, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't remember where he'd seen him. It wasn't just the bright blue eyes—he'd recognized those right away: they were just like Cloud's. Anger boiled within him at the thought of that simple human, the simple human who had somehow managed to defeat him three times.

There was something else about this brown-haired man with a long red sword. And… what was this emotion he was feeling? He couldn't recall ever feeling it before. Could it be… No. That was impossible. Or, if it was true, it had its roots in the times from before he'd awoken, and those memories meant nothing. He had let go of those long ago.

But then why was he so fascinated with this human? Even to the point of distracting him from Cloud. Oh, not enough to make him loose his grip on himself. That would never happen. Cloud would always be the core of his being, his grip on himself in this place.

Even if this man had just been a part of the foolish years of his youth, a part of him wanted to know who it was. Why did he not feel the hatred for this man that he felt toward all humanity?

He felt…

Hurt?

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* * *

_For the first section with Aeris, why didn't I use her name? I don't know. It just happened that way. Also, I think that Cloud does move on from Aeris after AC, but he still loves her and would try to bring her back if he knew a way. I just think he's strong enough to be able to move on from her. He knows there's no use in pining after her if she'd dead, that doesn't make one happy. Aeris knows this and would want it that way... if she didn't return that is. 8D_

_With Genesis, I believe he returns with the intention of aiding the planet, but that doesn't mean he won't be an antagonist of sorts. I'm not sure how I'm going to deal with this, but he won't be very helpful for a while I think. And I have absolutely no idea for Weiss. No idea at all._

_And Sephiroth. I really like the nice Sephiroth from CC, so even though it's probably not likely that Sephiroth would ever be nice again, I like Sephiroth enough to turn away from canon to make him at least a little nice. I don't know how nice he'll be, and I don't know if I'll bring him back in physical form yet, but I'm letting the story decide for me._

_I'm going to try for a chapter a week, but I can't guarantee anything. I'm not very reliable with my writing._

_Reviews are appreciated!_


	2. Learning to Walk Again

_**5/15/09: Prologue has been edited again!  
**_

_**5/11/09: Prologue has been edited!**_

_I don't own the characters. Square Enix does._

_Chapter 1 up already! I figured I'd get a few chapters up to get the story going, then go to one a week (hopefully) so I can concentrate on other things._

_Enjoy, and if you find any typos, feel free to let me know. ^_^_

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Cloud's eyes snapped open. He glanced around, before sighing and putting a hand on his forehead. _Another dream about her,_ he thought, taking in a long ragged breath. He'd been having dreams about Aeris almost every night for the past couple of weeks. None of them had involved loosing her, so he didn't wake up with those memories in his mind. In fact, he'd actually _found_ her in almost every one of them. But this one had been different from the others.

He shivered and looked at the window. It was still quite dark, but he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep after that dream, so he rolled out of bed and slipped on his clothes.

After scribbling a note saying where he'd gone and slipping it under Tifa's door, he left the bar and hopped onto his bike.

Jenova.

The calamity that had caused so much trouble. Why had she appeared in his dream? He had too much experience with Jenova and Sephiroth to simply ignore it.

And Aeris had been in it too.

He'd seen a huge monster approaching from the distance—which he'd known was Jenova—with Aeris by his side and everyone else standing behind them, including two people he didn't know. One had had a long red sword—this one had actually looked a little familiar—and the other, some amazingly spiky white hair.

He was glad the streets were empty; he was barely paying attention to them. He suddenly realized he didn't even have his lights on. Sighing, he flipped them on and turned toward Midgar. Maybe he'd be able to think more clearly in the church.

* * *

This was very weird.

The first thing she felt when she woke was the wooden floorboards against her back. She thought she would have remembered how things felt, but after more than three and a half years of not feeling anything, she had obviously forgotten. The second thing was the feel of fabric against her skin. The planet had even created clothes for her? She was wearing the pink dress and red jacket that she always used to wear. Her hair was down though. What had ever happened to her ribbon, the one Zack had bought for her?

She lay there for a minute, getting used to the feelings, remembering them, then cracked open her eyes. It was dark. Good. She probably would have been blinded if the planet sent her back during the day. She tried to move her arms, and found she had a hard time remembering how. Even imagining a body for herself as she had while in the lifestream hadn't much helped her remember even that. She sighed. This was going to be harder than she'd thought.

After several attempts, she managed to sit up and lean against one of the benches. She couldn't help but smile as she caught sight of the buster sword surrounded by the yellow and white flowers she used to grow here.

It was so strange to actually be experiencing things again. Though she could see what happened on the planet while in the lifestream, it was very different compared to seeing with physical eyes. She ran her fingers over the wood, the fabric of her clothes, her skin, and anything else within reach, experiencing everything as if for the first time.

She pulled herself up onto the bench, moving her legs to remember how to use them. She looked back at the door and remembered when she'd stood there after Cloud's battle with Sephiroth. Her heart throbbed at the memory. She'd been happy for Cloud that day; he'd finally realized he had to forgive himself, and that she didn't blame him for her death, but it'd still hurt to walk away from him. That had been a year and a half ago. Had it really been that long?

She leaned her head back and smiled, closing her eyes. She could be with him again now. As long as they survived this next battle that is… She shook her head and pushed all her worries about Jenova and Genesis to the back of her mind. She concentrated on the feelings she had for Cloud and all her memories of him. They'd never really had much of a relationship before. She'd only realized she loved him after she'd left for the City of the Ancients. But why was she sitting here? She should be making her way toward the 7th Heaven. She stood up, but having forgotten that she no longer remembered how to keep her balance, she fell back down again.

Well, now what? She'd just have to wait until he came here, unless she was able to remember how to walk before he did, and she hopped it wouldn't take that long. She was feeling a little cold.

And that rumbling… was it hunger? No, a growling stomach didn't sound like that, did it? Then what was… _Oh!_

_

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_

Cloud still hadn't been able to think clearly by the time he stopped in front of the church. He sighed, looking up at the crumbling building. The sun was just starting to rise behind it. It looked even more welcoming than usual. He smiled slightly, before pulling open the doors. He'd replaced them after the battle with Kadaj.

The moment he entered the building, he knew someone was there. "Hello?" He called, walking forward and looking around. The presence was familiar, and not at all threatening.

He heard a giggle, one he hadn't heard in years, and one he knew immediately. A whirl of emotions suddenly spun through his head. She'd said goodbye, hadn't she? What would she appear to him now for? He wasn't fighting any battles, either with himself or someone else. He'd only had a nightmare.

He looked around again and spotted her sitting on a bench, looking at the sword across the water. As he walked over to her, he realized her presence felt more real than it had before. Why? He'd come here for some peace, not to be faced with the one thing that would send him back into depression for the next few weeks, if not months.

"Why are you here?" He asked, all his emotions showing through the words.

She looked up at him as he stopped beside her, emerald eyes laughing. Before he knew it, she'd grabbed his arms and pulled herself up, pressing her lips gently against his.

Despite his annoyance at her appearance, and the agony he knew this would cause him when she left, he couldn't help but wrap his arms around her and return the kiss. They'd never kissed before, but somehow it felt so natural.

He broke away after a minute and looked anywhere but her. His heart was already aching with the thought of her leaving him again, especially after this. "What are you doing here?" He demanded, a bit of coolness in his voice.

A hurt look crossed her face for a minute, then was replaced by humor as she figured out why he'd been acting a little weird. "You think I'm just another projection from the lifestream, don't you?"

She giggled as a confused look replaced his annoyed and pained one. He looked back at her, examining her face, her emerald eyes. Yes, she felt more real than last time, but there was nothing else she could be. Was he still dreaming? That must be it.

He looked away from her again. "I'm still dreaming, aren't I?"

She shook her head, placing her hands on his face and making him look at her. "Does this feel like a dream to you?"

"Even if it doesn't, there's no other explanation." He released her and was about to turn away, when he felt her wobble. He caught her before she fell and helped her up again. "What was that about?"

"Sorry, I can't stand very well. I've sort of forgotten how." She gripped onto his arms again, holding herself steady, then looked up at his face. "You still don't think this is real, do you?"

He looked pointedly at her. "You're dead."

She sucked in a sharp breath, hearing his voice waver, like he was on the edge of tears.

"I was just starting to be able to think about you without my heart being ripped out of my chest, and now you appear in this dream, or whatever it is, claiming that you've come back." He stared into her eyes, trying to either make her go away, or at least figure out what was going on. "People don't come back from the dead."

The last thing she wanted was to see him suffer like this. To see it from the lifestream was one thing, but seeing it with her own eyes, while he had his arms around her, was worse. Much worse.

She took his face in her hands again. He tried to get away, but she didn't let him. "Cloud, listen to me," she said, keeping her eyes locked on his and her feet firmly planted so she didn't fall again. "This is real. It's not a dream. I've come back. The planet senses danger and needed someone on the surface who could communicate with it, so it sent me back. Whether you believe me or not, I'm right here, and I'm not leaving your side until I'm torn away from you, so you'd better get used to me being here."

Cloud stared at her. He'd never had anyone in a dream act like this, even her, when she appeared in his dreams. But he didn't dare believe her. What if he did and it _was_ all a dream? That would be worse than not believing her in the first place. But on the small chance that she was right… that this _was_ real…

It really didn't feel like a dream. It was too real. Her hair, her clothes… her lips…

And it finally sunk in. She was real. She was back.

She was back.

He collapsed to his knees, bringing her down with him, then wrapped his arms tightly around her and started crying into her neck.

Aeris couldn't help but start crying too, both because she'd finally convinced him she was back, and just simply from the joy of being with him again. Then she winced. He was hugging her very tightly…

"Ok, ok, me being alive again _does _mean I have to breathe." She said, tapping his shoulder to get his attention. He loosened his grip slightly, but didn't move more than that. She had been able to watch him, see him, all through the past few years, but he'd only seen her those few times when she'd helped him when Sephiroth returned. He'd been almost completely separated from her.

It was several minutes before he was able to bring his emotions under control. He slowly pulled away from her enough to look at her eyes, those beautiful emerald eyes that were always smiling. He took a deep breath, then asked simply, "how?".

"I don't know how the planet works its magic," she said, "but I was needed, so I was sent back."

A terrible thought suddenly occurred to him, and he dared to ask, his voice shaking. "You… you can stay…right?"

She smiled. "Do you think the planet would say, 'oh, you're job's done. Thank you for all your help, but it's time to die again now'?" She shook her head, wiping tears from his cheeks. "No, Cloud. As long as we survive what's to come, I can stay and live out my life as I would have before."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded. "The planet told me. It didn't send me back as a favor for me, I agreed to return as a favor for it, though I did want to return anyway to be with you." She chuckled, and he couldn't help but smile. "And since you were the one who saved the planet, why would it want to cause you more pain by taking me away again?"

He took a deep breath, feeling relieved. "Then you'd better stay somewhere safe, if something bad is going to happen."

She laughed. "Seriously, Cloud, I think the safest place is right by your side."

His face darkened. "But…"

She put a finger to his lips. "I don't want to hear it." She said gently. "You were under Jenova and Sephiroth's influence then, and you've become stronger over the past years." She put a hand against his chest, feeling his heartbeat, which was racing with joy. "But, you've still got the gentlest heart I've ever seen."

He smiled, then hugged her again.

They sat quietly for a few minutes, then Aeris let out a long sigh and said, "Won't Tifa be worrying about you if we don't get back there soon?"

"I don't want to go anywhere." he mumbled into her neck.

"Yes, I don't really either," she agreed, chuckling, "but I would like to see everyone else too. Plus, Tifa will probably call you soon anyway, which would be a little disappointing, since you'd have to answer, and she'd notice how happy you are, which means you'd have to tell her I'm back, and that would ruin the fun of surprising her myself, wouldn't it?"

Cloud laughed, the first time he'd really laughed in ages. "Fine," he consented, standing up and pulling her up with him. She just noticed her legs had gone numb. That was another sensation she'd forgotten.

He noticed her wobble again and asked, with a bit of a grin, "Am I going to have to carry you to my bike?"

She glared at him. "I see you're doing fine now. Well enough to tease me in fact. No, I'd better re-learn how to walk, preferably before we see Tifa and the others. Just make sure I don't fall."

With Cloud's help, she slowly was able to walk out of the church. She practiced a bit more outside until she was able to walk, even if slowly and not very gracefully, without his help.

"So, if the planet was able to make clothes for you, why couldn't it help you out with walking too?" He asked as he got on Fenrir.

She nudged him in the ribs as she climbed up behind him. "If you had no body for three and a half years I think you'd have trouble too."

"Sephiroth didn't seem to have any trouble when he returned."

"He's part alien."

"True," he reached back grabbed one of her hands. "Hold on. If I don't drive fast, Tifa _will_ call before we get back."

She laughed and hugged him tightly as they started off.

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_Cloud's dream is more symbolic than actually something that will happen, which is why I didn't explain it in detail (well, I also was too lazy to write out a whole dream)._

_Aeris is back already? Yep. That's what the story told me to do... since my original reason for writing this was that I wanted to get some good long CloudXAeris fanfiction out there._

_If you suddenly have a body again after a few years, I think you'd have trouble too. ^_^ It kind of annoys me when people bring Aeris back and she acts like she never died in the first place. A little unrealistic. I was heasitant to write a story where she's brought back because of this, but I was able to figure out a way to do it that I'm happy with._

_I'm a little better at writing romantic scenes than I thought I would be, but I've still got a lot of impoving to do. Just bear with me until I get good at it._

_Also, my chapters will probably range from 1,000 to 5,000 words in length. I'm a little inconsistent with chapter length._

_Any comments/critique are welcome!_


	3. Surprises

_I don't own the Characters. Square Enix does._

_Yay! Chapter 3! This one took quite a bit of thought. It's also longer than the others so far._

_Enjoy!_

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"_That,_ was cool," Aeris said as they stopped in front of the 7th Heaven. "Now I see why you like this thing so much."

He chuckled, bit didn't feel like commenting. Stepping off the bike, he helped her off and pulled her in for a hug. The sun had fully risen now and her hair seemed to glow in the morning light. She was still just as beautiful as he remembered.

They stood there for a minute, then she said, "Well, let's go surprise Tifa."

He grumbled and released her reluctantly, then took her hand in his. "Alright, let's go."

* * *

Tifa wondered what kind of dream would make Cloud need to get up and ride off on his bike before sunrise. Cloud there had been another reason? One he didn't want to tell her? But if that was the case, what would it be?

She sighed and glanced at the clock on the radio. He'd been gone for almost two hours already. She considered giving him a call, but decided to give him another fifteen minutes. After all, he had deliveries waiting for that day and she didn't think he would just skip out on his job. Pulling out a rag from the cupboard, she went to work cleaning the counters.

It wasn't long before she heard the distant rumble of an engine. It stopped out front and she couldn't help but feel relieved. She always worried that he would just suddenly leave, even though she knew he wouldn't do that again. He even left notes if he had to go somewhere unexpectedly now.

When the bell hanging above the door finally sounded she looked up and was about to smile at him, but then looked simply confused. Cloud looked happier than she'd ever seen him. Not only was he smiling, but the pain that was usually present in his eyes was gone, as if it's never been there before.

He stayed there for a minute, the door half open. When Tifa gave him a questioning look, he chuckled and opened the door the rest of the way, revealing the girl next to him.

Tifa just stared. Was that really her? "Aeris?" She breathed after a minute.

"Hi Tifa," Aeris grinned, dropping Cloud's hand as she jogged over to her stunned friend, discretely using chairs and tables to keep her from falling. He closed the door, then followed close behind her.

Tifa gasped, realizing that this was real, then wrapped her arms around Aeris. "It's really you isn't it?" She asked when they parted, holding Aeris by the shoulders at arm's length and examining her. "How did you..?"

"The planet sent me back, because it needs my help." Her voice darkened for a minute. "I have many things I have to tell all of you, but don't worry about that now. It'd be best if I told everyone at once, so if you could call them..."

"How about _you_ call them." Tifa said, grinning. She spun her friend toward the stairs and gave her a little nudge. "Use the phone in Cloud's room. And it's about time I woke up the kids."

Aeris laughed and smiled at Cloud, then hurried up the stairs.

Tifa put a hand on Cloud's arm as he moved to follow her. He looked at her and she smiled. She didn't need to say anything. Her eyes, sparkling with tears of joy, told him how happy she was for him. "Thank you, Tifa." He said, then gave her a quick hug, before hurrying up the stairs.

* * *

Aeris was standing in front of his desk when he caught up with her. She was looking at the two neatly framed pictures and the flowers in front of them, her expression unreadable.

Cloud just stared at her for a minute. She was really back. The sunlight streaming through the windows made her hair glow, but it wasn't the same without the ribbon, though he did like it down—almost preferred it—it just didn't quite seem like her. He dropped his spaulder by the door then walked over and wrapped his arms around her middle, resting his head on top of hers. "You alright?" He whispered.

She'd jumped slightly at his touch. It would take her a while to get used to feeling things again. She sighed. "Yeah, it's just, you all look so different."

He moved so he could look at her face, confused by her statement. "You've been watching us, haven't you?"

"Well, you mainly, but yes." She blushed slightly. "It's just very different to see you all this way again." She motioned to herself and the room. "And… I can't help but wish I was in those pictures."

"That's why the flowers are there," he mumbled into her ear.

She smiled.

They were silent for a minute, then Cloud said thoughtfully. "Well, you're a bit different too, at the moment." She glanced at him questioningly and he ran his fingers through her hair in answer. "I think we can fix that though." He grinned and, slipping his hand down to take hers, he went to the desk. He searched through one of the drawers for a minute, before handing her something pink and neatly folded.

She sucked in a sharp breath as she let the fabric unfold in her hand. "Is this..?"

He nodded.

The ribbon was just like new, even if a little dusty. She dropped Cloud's hand so she could examine it properly. After a minute of silence, she suddenly threw her arms around him, nearly knocking him back onto the desk. "I always wondered what had happened to it. Zack even asked me a couple times before he melded into the lifestream. I wasn't able to answer him." She chuckled, remembering the teasing that had resulted in.

"He did?" He asked.

"Oh, that's right. I never told you where I got it, did I?" They parted and she explained, "He bought it for me the day we met. Sort of as a thank you for helping me recover his stolen wallet, I think."

He chuckled at the thought of a SOLDIER getting their wallet stolen. "You'll have to tell me about that later. Aren't we supposed to be calling everyone right now, though?"

"Right!" She turned to his desk and looked at it for a moment, before asking teasingly, "You don't use a chair?"

He grumbled, ignoring her, and pulled the list of everyone's phone numbers from a drawer. "Here, who first?"

She glanced over the list. There were a few more numbers than she'd expected. There was everyone from the team, with Reeve replacing Cait, and the Turks were there too. One of the names caught her attention, and she asked, "Where's Shelke? She's living with you, isn't she?"

Cloud nodded. "She's with Vincent in Kalm right now, improving her life-support device that he's been working on. They've been trying to find a way to enable her to survive without mako."

"They having any luck?"

"Some," he said, picking up the phone. "He called her over this time so he could test out a new idea he'd come up with. We haven't heard anything back from her yet. So," he handed her the phone, "do I need to call them for you?"

"Why in such a hurry?" She took the phone and dialed Vincent's number. "Ah," she turned to him with a grin, poking him in the stomach. "You want to see if it takes as long for anyone else to believe I've come back as it did for you, don't you."

"It's more that I'm wondering what their reactions will be, but a bit of that too," he said, kissing her forehead. "I'm still not really convinced you're back."

"Hello?" A young female voice came through the phone and Aeris quickly brought it up to her ear.

"Is this Shelke?" She asked.

"Yes. Who is this?"

"I'm a friend of Vincent's. Is he nearby?"

"Yes, can I have your name?"

"He'll know who I am. It's a bit of a surprise, actually." Aeris couldn't help but feel anxious as she waited for Vincent to get on the phone. Out of everyone, she had the least idea how he would react.

She nearly jumped when she heard his voice, but composed herself quickly and said, "Hello, Vincent?"

There was a silence. A long silence. She even heard Shelke on the other end asking what was up. Finally Vincent asked, in a voice that was much more raspy than usual, "Aeris?"

She laughed. "That would be me."

"You've come back?"

"You catch on fast. I guess I don't need to waste any time convincing you, like I had to with Cloud."

The accused man beside her grumbled.

"I know a dream from reality when I see it—or hear it, in this case—but this is very unexpected." Vincent said, his voice now back to normal, and even with some happiness under the surface. "Why has the planet let you return? I wouldn't expect it to interfere with the way of life, even for a Cetra. "

She explained, then said. "We can talk more later; I still have to call everyone else. Can the two of you make it here within a few days? We need to gather everyone here so I can tell you what you'll need to know for the battle ahead."

"We should be able to." There was a pause and she got the feeling he was struggling with his inability to express emotion verbally. Finally, he added, "its… good to hear your voice again, Aeris."

She held back a giggle. "You too, Vincent. See you soon."

"Well that went well," Cloud said, a little relieved that Vincent had believed that she was real. It was nearly impossible to fool him; Yuffie had discovered that for them a number of times. "So who next?"

"Hmm…" She looked over the list, then dialed Cid's number.

Cloud chuckled. This would be interesting.

"Yeah, what is it?" Cid's voice came through.

"Hi, Cid?"

There was a short pause, before he said, "Well, ain't that somethin'? You sound just like an old friend o'mine. Who are ya, though?"

She giggled. "I'm that 'friend of yours', unless you know someone else that sounds just like me."

He was quiet again. "This really ain't a very nice trick to play." He said darkly. "That friend of mine is…"

"Dead. Well, was, now that I'm back."

Another silence, then "If Cloud's there, I'd have him confirm this for me. It's damn hard to believe, if ya know what I mean."

"Sure," She held out the phone to Cloud and he took it.

He looked her over for a few minutes, making Cid impatient. "Well?" The man said, suspicion, hesitant happiness, and annoyance all obvious in his tone.

"She _looks_ like Aeris," Cloud said finally. "But I can't say for sure. I was sort of hoping you could convince methat she's actually real."

"Well how th'hell would I know that? You're the one staring at her, at least if it _is_ her."

"I'm just as stunned as you are Cid. Here, I'm giving the phone back to her."

Cid huffed loudly as Cloud handed her the phone. "Well, ain't _that_ somethin'?" He said, apparently having decided it was actually her. "That's actually you, Aeris?"

"Yup."

"Aeris! Damn it's good to hear your voice again. How the hell'd you come back?"

She explained, then asked if he could make his way to the 7th Heaven.

"Sure thing. I can come over whenever you need me in the Shera, since we just finished all the repairs. Barret's been here helpin' out the past couple of weeks, so I'll drag him with me. Do I need to pick up anyone else on the way?"

"I haven't called Red XIII, Reeve, or Yuffie yet, but I think it's fair to assume they're coming. It'd be great if you could pick them up. That would save some travel time."

"Sure would. I'll see ya soon then!"

"Thanks, see you Cid."

She hung up and stretched her legs. Really, why didn't Cloud have a chair?

Cloud noticed her shifting and asked, "What's wrong?"

"I'm just debating the best way to get you to buy a chair."

"Your legs are tired already?" She glared at him and he chuckled. "I never use it as a place to do work; it's more just a surface to put things on so they're not all over the floor. Here, just sit on the bed." He moved to the side to let her sit on his simple and narrow bed. He sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her middle, holding her against him.

She was quiet for a minute as she leaned against him, enjoying the warmth of his body, then she held up the phone and paper again and looked it over. She dialed Yuffie's number.

It wasn't long before Yuffie's energetic voice came through the phone. "Hiya!"

"Hey Yuffie."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," She heard the ninja say in disbelief. "Ok, you sound _exactly_ like a friend of mine. That is just totally weird."

Aeris chuckled. "Yeah, it's weird to be back."

There was a short pause. "Hang on, are you saying that you're… Aeris?"

"Mhmm."

"Whoa… that is awesome! So you've just… come back from the dead? This isn't a prank or anything, right?"

"Pretty much, and no, it isn't. Are you free for the next few days? I need to talk to everyone as soon as possible."

"Umm… yeah. But really, this is too cool to be true. Is Cloud nearby?"

"Yes…" Aeris glanced at him.

"Hey!" Yuffie nearly screamed into the phone suddenly, making Aeris jerk it away from her ear. "You're one lucky dude, Cloud. Not every day a person comes back from the dead!"

Aeris giggled and held the phone up for Cloud as he muttered, "umm… yeah. Thanks."

"Anyway," Aeris said, "I still have to call Red and Reeve. Cid will be there to pick you up within the next couple of days."

"Ugh… airships. Well, it'll make the trip faster. See ya, Aeris! This _really _is super cool!"

"Yeah, see you soon Yuffie." She hung up then handed the paper to cloud. "You pick the next one."

"Why?"

"I dunno. 'Cause you're just sitting here while I talk on the phone."

He grinned. "It's fun hearing everyone's reactions, and anyway." He hugged her tighter for a minute. "I don't really want to do anything other than stare at you at the moment. But if you insist," she blushed slightly as he considered the remaining names, then said, "how about Reeve next?"

"Mkay," She dialed the number. She was a little nervous, since she'd never actually talked to Reeve before, only conversed with him through Cait Sith, which had only happened a couple times before her death. Most of their conversations with Cait had been just the robot talking.

"Tuesti here," she heard a man say on the other end.

"Reeve?"

"Yes…" there was a short pause. "Do I know you? You sound familiar, but I can't remember speaking to you recently."

"Yeah, though we never met in person. It's Aeris."

"Aeris..? But you…" he trailed off.

"I was sent back by the planet. It senses danger and needed me on the surface to communicate with it."

"Danger?" Reeve was suddenly alert. "Do you know if something is going to happen?"

"It has something to do with Jenova, but it would be best if I explain it to everyone at once. Do you have the time to come to Edge for a few days?"

"Of course. When do you need me there?"

"Within the next couple of days, if possible. Cid should be able to pick you up."

"I'm in Cosmo Canyon right now. I'll call and let him know."

"Is Red nearby?"

"No, he's out right now, but I'll be sure to let him know I talked to you."

Aeris knew it was unlikely that Red XIII would have a cell phone. She giggled at the thought of him trying to hold one in his paws. "Thanks, Reeve."

"No problem at all. I look forward to meeting you in person, Aeris."

"You too Reeve."

She sighed and leaned sideways into Cloud, smiling and just enjoying his company. "Am I missing anyone?"

He thought for a minute. "What about your mother?"

Aeris dipped her head, half burying her face in Cloud's side. She'd been thinking about her mother almost as much as Cloud. How was she supposed to tell her mother she'd come back to life? "I think… I think I'd rather talk to her in person." She said after a minute. "She might not believe it if I talk to her over the phone."

"I don't know…" He absently ran his fingers through her hair. "I think she would."

She glanced up at him.

He gave her a reassuring smile. "She is your mother after all. I don't think she would think it's a prank, since she'd know it's your voice right away. You should call her."

She smiled back, resting her head against him again. "Yeah, I suppose. Maybe I'm just making excuses, since I'm sort of nervous to talk to her." She chuckled sadly, knowing how much pain her death had caused her mother. A part of her wanted to wait until the danger had passed. What if she was killed again… She squeezed her eyes shut, firmly suppressing that thought. She wasn't going to worry right now. She wanted to be happy for Cloud right now. He'd just gotten her back. Of course, she'd wanted to wait to tell him too, since loosing her again would hurt him a million times more than it had once, but he would be needed in the battle, as would the rest of them. The planet had told her that.

He noticed her distress and rubbed her shoulder gently. "You alright?"

She forced the last of those thoughts from her mind, before looking up at him. "Yeah, I'm fine. Should we call the Turks? I know you and Rufus aren't exactly on friendly terms, but you're not really enemies either, right?"

He chuckled. "True, I'll call them later, since they don't really know you." He looked down at her, a little confused as she gave a quiet sigh. "Are you… tired?"

She blinked. Was she? She considered it for a minute, then shook her head. "Not physically, I think, it's just strange to be alive again. I suppose I'm a bit overwhelmed."

"Well, you've got two more people to say hi to." Cloud whispered in her ear as he dropped his arms from around her, hearing the little footsteps of the kids coming down the half-set of stairs from their room. He stood, taking the phone from her and setting it on the charger just as he heard Marlene's voice.

"Cloud?" She asked, looking around the door that was half closed. "Tifa said there was someone…" She grew quiet for a minute, looking at Aeris with increasingly wide eyes.

"Who is it Marlene?" Denzel asked, opening the door further so he could look in too.

"The Flower Lady!" Marlene suddenly cried, running in and wrapping her arms around Aeris, who had stood up just in time to avoid being knocked back onto the bed and, since the bed was so narrow, the wall. "They all said you were gone, but you never really left did you? You've been helping. You even got Cloud to come back home when he left, didn't you?"

Aeris laughed. "I think you had more to do with that than I did, Marlene." She looked up at the boy who still stood in the doorway. "Hi Denzel, it's good to meet you. I'm Aeris."

He walked in and shook her hand. "Nice to meet you too, miss Aeris."

"I see you've been introduced." Tifa said, appearing in the doorway. She turned to Cloud and motioned to the wall behind him that was covered in slips of paper. "Don't you have deliveries today?"

He hunched his shoulders, looking over at Aeris, who had just gotten Marlene to let go of her and was complimenting the girl on her ribbon, which was identical to her own. Did he really have to do those deliveries? He didn't want to leave Aeris, and he didn't see how he could bring her with him. He was still very scared that she would disappear if he let her out of his sight.

She seemed to guess what he was thinking. "Go do your job Cloud." She said, smiling at him. "I don't want you to skip out on that because of me. I'd just feel guilty."

He sighed, then rested his hands on her shoulders and asked quietly. "You'll still be here when I come back, right? I'm not going to wake up? It's really not a dream?"

She put a hand on his cheek and he leaned into the touch, closing his eyes for a moment, savoring it. "No, silly. I'm back," she said. "Now go, before your customers start getting mad at you."

"Here," Tifa tossed him a sandwich. "I don't believe you've eaten anything yet today."

"Thanks," He dropped his hands from Aeris's shoulders and picked up his spaulder from where he'd dropped it.

"And you, Aeris, need to eat something too." Tifa added.

She blinked. That's right. People ate here. She was surprised how much three and a half years in the lifestream had made her forget about being alive, or at least, had made her stop thinking of them as routine. Both Cloud and Tifa chuckled at her response, then Cloud gave her a hug, and reluctantly left the room.

* * *

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* * *

_Alright, so I hope I didn't bore anyone with the four phone calls. I did cut it down though, so she didn't have to call eight or so different people. I also needed the practice for the characters, since I'll be writing them more soon. I think I did well enough with how they act and speak._

_Also, there will be no VincentXShelke in here. It just seems weird to me that they'd be together, but they will be close friends. I quite like Shelke. ^_^  
_

_Next chapter focuses on Genesis._

_Comments? Critique? Bring it on!_


	4. From the Past

_I don't own the characters!_

_Another shorter chapter. Genesis, Turks, and a bit of Red XIII. I just added the Red XIII part cause I felt the story needed more hints to what's going to happen. I'm slowly working out the story line, so little changes to the chapters I've put up so far are likely. Updates will probably be a little slower now, but hopefully no less often than a chapter a week.  
_

_Enjoy!_

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* * *

Junon Town looked much different from the last time he'd been there. The water was cleaner, the air fresher, and even the homes looked livelier.

He was in town to find some way to help heal the planet. Since the town had been so polluted before, he'd thought it would be a good place to start, but now that he was here, he didn't see much that he could do to help. He'd been a little worried about being recognized, but no one seemed to have any idea who he was, even in Junon City. It seemed the Shinra Company had done a good job of erasing all traces of his existence.

Why had he not awakened before the Meteor Crisis, or before the Deepground Incident? His path would have been clear then, and he would have been able to stop Meteor before it was even summoned, or even stop Deepground from attacking, since he'd known about it. He sighed, remembering that it had been Sephiroth that had summoned Meteor. His old rival...and close friend.

He absently stirred his tea as he gazed out the window at the place where the Mako Cannon had once been, barely able to see it in the dark, as he remembered the old times before he'd learned about Project Gillian, the project that had created him. He, Sephiroth and Angeal, training together, laughing. His thoughts turned to the last time they'd practiced together. His fight with Sephiroth. He still didn't quite know what had driven him to battle his friend that day. Sure, he'd been jealous of Sephiroth's glory—he still was, despite the fact that Sephiroth had nearly destroyed the planet—but enough to fight him? He frowned. He had fully intended to kill Sephiroth that day, or at least permanently disable him. Had he really been that Jealous?

He sighed and turned his thoughts back to his task. Should he go to the W.R.O? He'd learned about them that past month, that they were an organization meaning to protect and heal the planet. It was his goal too, and the natural thing to do was to go to them and see what they needed help with. But two things were stopping him. The first, was that he was sure any documents that Shinra had possessed about him would be with them, if any remained. Though the possibility was small, he didn't want to arrive there and be attacked—no one knew he hadn't returned to try to take over the world again. And second, he didn't want to just wander the planet growing trees. He was sure there was something more that he was mean to do, or the planet wouldn't have woken him now. The W.R.O had done a fine job of repairing much of the damage of the Meteor Crisis and the Deepground Incident; he didn't need to help with that.

No, there had to be something else. Something he was missing. Something big was going to happen.

"Genesis," Weiss's voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he glanced up at the white haired man, who sat at the small, basic table present in their room at the inn. The ex-Tsviet had taken to wearing a basic set of clothes and a long dark blue coat since his release from Deepground. "You've been silent for some time now. Is something on your mind?"

Genesis sighed, finally taking a sip of his still full and now quite cold tea. "Nothing worth mentioning. I would ask the same of you, though. You've been just as silent as myself."

Weiss inclined his head slightly. "I've been… thinking." He said quietly, almost hesitating before saying the last word.

Genesis looked at him curiously for a minute, before deciding not to question him. He trusted Weiss. After all, the planet had revived him. So he should let the man keep his thoughts to himself if he wanted. With another look out the window, he downed the rest of his tea, placing the empty cup on the windowsill, then took his sword from where it leaned against the wall. He doubted he would need it, but it was habit from his days in SOLDIER to carry it with him at all times. "I'm heading out to replenish our supplies," he said as he left the room.

Weiss nodded, then leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes, wondering why he wasn't allowed to tell Genesis about the things he heard when everything was quiet. He was sure it would help in their goal of aiding the planet.

* * *

She looked back down the hallway and the rooms of her small apartment, then reached down to pick up her pack from where it leaned against the wall. It'd been a while since she had been on a mission. A part of her was sad that she was leaving the home she'd built for herself after she'd had to go into hiding almost four years before. She had finally gotten used to not having someone telling her what to do, looking over her shoulder all the time, and she quite enjoyed it. But she had grown up always moving, always training, and she'd been itching to get out and travel for quite a while now.

She gently took her weapon down from it's hanger near the door. She looked it over, weighing it in her hands. It had been a while since she'd used it. Hooking it onto her pack, she left the apartment.

The streets were starting to empty as people went home for the night. She locked her door, then followed the road toward the elevator that would take her to the top of Junon's plate.

She rubbed her hands together nervously as she walked. Why did she feel nervous? There was no one who was out to kill her now; there hadn't been since the fall of Shinra. But still, there was something that was bothering her. Years of experience in battle told her not to ignore those feelings. She stopped and looked around, examining every shadow while pretending she was fiddling with her purse.

Then she froze.

A brown haired man was walking out of the Inn a couple of blocks away. He looked very familiar and sent a chill down her spine. Carefully, she walked closer, staying hidden while keeping the appearance of someone simply making their way through the town. The man had a long red sword and wore a red coat. Despite the differences, and how long it had been since she'd seen him, she knew who it was.

Genesis.

So he _was_ back. There was no mistaking that sword. Carefully, she walked away, pulling her phone out of her pocket.

"Cissnei?" The voice of her former boss asked, confused.

"Hi, Tseng. I've found him." She said, still keeping an eye on the man.

There were a few moments of silence as Tseng took in this information. "Already? But you haven't even left Junon, have you?"

"No, I just walked out of my apartment."

"Are you sure it's him?"

"No one else has a five foot bright red sword with the handle of a rapier, correct?"

Tseng let out a long breath. "I would doubt it," he said. "Very well, I'll tell the President."

Cissnei couldn't help but smile at his choice of words. The Shinra Company didn't exist anymore, yet they still called Rufus 'President'?

"Should I keep an eye on Genesis, or do you have another job for me?" She asked.

"Actually, there is another place where you would be more helpful at the moment. Tam and Nate have been doing some investigating on the northern continent, but they've been having trouble with the monsters there. I'll have them pick you up right away in Junon City, if you don't mind helping them, that is."

"I'd be happy to help them out. Thanks Tseng."

"Thank _you_. After all, none of you are really working for the President anymore."

"True. I'll contact you once I've successfully met up with Tam and Nate."

* * *

Red XIII finally slowed down his full-out run. He'd returned home after one of the searches he'd been occupying himself with since Meteorfall to hear from Reeve that Aeris had come back to life! Only calling and talking to her had finally convinced him. He couldn't believe it!

He'd always felt an inexplicable connection to her—he guessed because they'd both been test subjects of Hojo's and knew what the other had been through—and because of that bond, he'd been devastated when she'd died. He couldn't wait to see her again, and he'd had to go out and run to work off his excitement.

Still grinning, he stopped at the edge of a long rock jutting out of a cliff that was higher than all his surroundings, letting out a long howl full of joy, hearing it echo across the canyons. The moon seemed to sparkle happily, returning his celebrations.

He stood there for a while, just enjoying the happiness flowing through him, but soon enough he remembered what she'd told him; there was danger coming.

His gaze moved to the town a few miles away, its flame flickering in the night. He'd been feeling uneasy lately, but he'd dismissed it as merely frustration at not finding what he was looking for, even after three and a half years, but now he knew it was different. His instincts were telling him to prepare, hurry up his search. He had to find her.

Something made him look up at the sky. Why did he feel the danger was coming from there? What could be out there among the stars?

He sighed. It was getting late, and if he was going out to search again tomorrow, he'd better get some rest. Slowly, he turned and trotted back to his home.

* * *

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* * *

_Weiss is hearing things, Genesis is frustrated and thinking about Sephiroth, the Turks think Genesis is back to take over the world, and Red XIII is searching for someone._

_Tam and Nate (Tameka and Nathan) are my names for the Knives (Tam) and Nunchaku (Nate) Before Crisis Turks. I thought long and hard about what to name them, but I think these names fit their looks/personalities well. I've never played BC, but I've read most of the script and read a lot about it and the characters. If I'm not portraying a character right, feel free to let me know._

_Now for review responses! If someone asks a question or makes and interesting comment, I'll put responses here too in case someone has the same question or people might be interested in the response. Not saying who the reviewer is, in case they don't want any fame. ^_^  
_

_-----: Though I was worried about how I could portray the characters when I started, I've realized I'm actually much better than I thought I would be. Though interpretations of the characters are often quite different, I'm hoping no one minds how I portray them. The story is proving to be harder to develop than I thought it would be, but I'm slowly working my way through an outline._

_Next chapter is a bit of a CloudXAeris fluff chapter, but with some more serious conversation thrown in. Things start to get more serious after that, though.  
_

_Comments and Critique are welcome as always!_


	5. A Field of Flowers

_**5/26/09: Grammar/spelling/typos for chapters 1-4 have been fixed, unless I missed something again. **_

_I don't own the characters or the world. Square Enix does._

_Ok, this chapter has been impossibly annoying for me. I've been working on it for nearly a week and a half, while the chapters before it took only a few days. It's been good practice for me though, since I'm not very good at romance yet. If you have suggestions, please do tell! In the mean time, just bear with me as I slowly get better at romance writing. ^^'_

_This is the last more cheerfull chapter for a while. The story finally picks up after this chapter, and the sky starts falling down. 8D_

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* * *

Sunlight streamed into the room as Cloud was pulled from his dreams. He tried to hang on to those last images, Aeris smiling at him with bright green eyes, her hand on his cheek, hair glowing in the sun… A lump formed in his throat and he fought off the longing that always followed his dreams of her. His heart was aching again, and he knew it wouldn't go away for days, maybe even weeks.

After a few minutes, he became aware of someone leaning over him. Why was Tifa trying to wake him up? With a sigh, he turned over and opened his eyes. A bright pair of emerald eyes gazed down at him, sparkling with humor that was echoed in her grin. He pulled back in surprise, nearly hitting his head on the desk behind him.

Aeris giggled, her twisted braid bouncing as she straightened and trotted to the door. "Come down and have some breakfast, Cloud," she said from the doorway, before heading down the stairs.

_She's… back...? _He thought numbly. For a few moments he lay there and tried to figure out if he was still dreaming, then he sat up suddenly, the memories of the past two days rushing back to him. He continued staring at the door for a while, then abruptly got up and quickly changed into a clean set of clothes. He barely paused to check his calendar, making sure it was the day he thought it was, before hurrying down the stairs.

Spotting Aeris behind the counter—the sight of her making everything feel strangely unreal—he walked quietly over and was about to wrap both arms around her tightly, when he noticed Tifa at the sink. Though Tifa no longer had any interest in him romantically, she had for several years and still had feelings for him because of that. While she was happy for him and Aeris, she also felt a little sad about it, and he wasn't about to ignore that. With an inward sigh, he simply wrapped an arm around Aeris's waist in a little hug. He let go after a few seconds and said, "You seem excited this morning."

She giggled, setting down the glass of water she'd just filled—and somehow not spilled when he'd hugged her. She still wasn't used to feeling again—feeling Cloud especially. She picked up a plate and offered it to him, before explaining, "I get to see everyone today, and their reactions to seeing me. They probably all still think this might be some sort of prank."

He gave her a smile, then took the plate and went to sit at a table with a "g'morning" and a nod to Tifa. To tell the truth, he wasn't quite sure if he was happy that everyone was going to be there. While it had been six months since they'd all been gathered together, and he looked forward to seeing them, he wanted longer to spend with Aeris without anyone else around. Much of the past two days had been spent doing even more deliveries than usual so he didn't have to work when everyone arrived. He hadn't really had that much time with her yet, and he was having a hard time fighting the urge to just get up and run off with her, preferably for more than the few hours they would have, as long as Vincent and Shelke weren't arriving soon. Cid and the others would be there around early afternoon and Rufus, who had surprisingly decided to come in person, would be arriving around the same time. Elmyra had wanted to come right away, of course, but Aeris had convinced her to wait a day so Cid could pick her up. There wasn't much transportation to Mideel, since reconstruction of the town had only begun in last past six months.

"How'd you sleep?" Aeris asked, sitting down next to Cloud as she and Tifa joined him.

He shrugged. "Well enough." Looking up, he saw that she looked a bit tired too. "How about you?"

She sighed, giving him a wry grin, "I'm getting used to sleeping again."

He smiled sympathetically, then returned to his food. A few minutes passed in silence, then the bar's phone rang.

"That's probably Vincent," Tifa said, getting up and going over to the phone. Cloud tried not to look anxious as he waited to hear the news that would hopefully let him have some time with Aeris…

"Seventh Heaven," Tifa said cheerfully as she picked up the phone. "Ah, I thought it was you, Vincent. Where are you?" There was a pause. "So you'll be here around the same time as the others? Alright, we'll see you then. How's Shelke holding up..?"

Cloud sighed, relieved as he heard her response. He looked up and caught Aeris's gaze as he asked, "Want to go out for a while before everyone gets here? We don't know how long it'll be before we have the chance again."

Her eyes lit up and she immediately looked less tired. "Sure, when?"

"Right after we're done eating, unless there's something else you need to do."

She quickly turned back to her food.

Cloud gazed at her small plate for a minute. She was still getting used to eating again so she wasn't able to eat very much at once. Absently wondering what it would be like to suddenly have a body after years of not having one, he returned his attention to his own plate.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Cloud and Aeris were pulling away from the Seventh Heaven, driving south on Fenrir.

"So where are we going?" Aeris asked as she brought her head closer to his ear so he could hear her clearly over the wind and Fenrir's engine. Her arms were wrapped tightly around his middle.

"Just a nice place I found a year or so ago. It's a bit of a drive; I hope you don't mind." he called back to her, then added more quietly, "Now that I think of it though, you've probably seen it already, since you've been watching me."

She thought for a minute. "Actually, I don't think I have."

He glanced back, trying to see if she was just trying to act like it was a surprise. "Really?"

"Yes, really. I wasn't watching you one-hundred percent of the time, Cloud. I've had work to do in the lifestream too, like making sure none of the tainted lifestream created form the victims of Geostigma remained. I only recently finished that. It wasn't exactly an easy job."

"Doesn't sound like it. Are you sure you're not just pretending..?"

"Yes!" She slapped his shoulder playfully.

"Alright, alright, I believe you." He laughed, then lifted a hand from its handle to squeeze one of hers gently. "You're going to like it though."

She squeezed back, then let go so he could go back to steering. "Can you give me a hint?"

"Maybe."

"Are there flowers?"

He cocked his head, pretending to think about it, then said slowly, "Yeah, I suppose there's a few..."

She giggled, hearing the humor in his voice, but didn't ask anymore about it and just rested her head against his back, enjoying his warmth and the wind in her hair.

Once outside Edge, Cloud turned east, heading toward the mountains. They stayed silent most of the way, simply enjoying each other's company. Eventually the dry wasteland became grassy fields, and Cloud turned off onto a side road. After another ten minutes they reached the foothills and he came to a stop.

Aeris glanced around as Cloud stepped off. She didn't see anything more than hills and grass.

Seeing her confused expression, he chuckled and took her hand as she got off the bike. "This way," he said, bending over in a mock bow and twirling his free hand at the closest hill, about a half mile away, which stood between them and the mountains.

Giving him a nudge in the ribs for his act, she followed as he led her toward the hill. Even the short uphill walk made her legs tired. She'd be useless if they had to battle anything for at least the next few weeks, if not months… She shook her head, trying to push away thoughts of the future. She'd worry about those things later; right now, she was free to have fun. Her work began when they returned to the Seventh Heaven.

She stopped abruptly as they reached the top, drawing in a quick breath of surprise and awe. There was a seemingly endless field of yellow and white flowers before them, a crystal-blue lake surrounded by patches of green-leafed aspens in the center. The water shimmered with the sun's reflection and the snow capped mountains in the distance provided the perfect backdrop.

"Oh, Cloud, it's beautiful!" Aeris exclaimed after a few moments of stunned silence. She threw her arms around him in a tight hug and kissed him on the cheek, then ran off into the field. "And there are _way_ more than a few flowers!" She called over her shoulder.

He unconsciously lifted a hand to his cheek, only able to watch as she twirled and danced among the flowers, honey-brown hair glowing in the morning light. Time seemed to freeze, as if it dared not interrupt the beautiful angel spinning in the field of white and gold.

She turned around to face him, apparently meaning to call him over, but the sudden change in direction took more balance than she had and she toppled over into the flowers.

Snapped out of his trance, Cloud jogged over, smiling at her clumsiness despite being a little concerned that she'd gotten hurt. "You alright?" He asked, offering a hand as he came to a stop beside the laughing Aeris.

"I'm fine, except for not quite knowing how to move around yet." She said, taking his hand. Just as he was about to pull her up, she pulled on his arm instead, making him fall down next to her and she burst into giggles again. After a short surprised silence, he started laughing along with her.

Once he'd regained his breath, he moved to sit next to her, then pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms tightly around her.

She rested her arms over his and leaned back, her head resting in the crook of his neck. "Thank you for bringing me here," she said, closing her eyes.

"Thank _you _for being here_,_" he whispered back, feeling strangely dreamy. She'd been with him like this in so many of his dreams recently that it was hard to believe that this time, it was real. How had he ever learned to live without her? He just couldn't see his life any differently now. His thoughts slowly wandered over all the time he'd spent with her what now seemed like decades before. How he'd crashed into her church, flattening many of her flowers in the process. All the time spent in Wall-Market, the details of which he still didn't care to remember. How he'd rushed into the Shinra building to get her, without thinking how dangerous it was. He went over everything, smiling at most of the memories, but eventually the images he most wanted to forget began flashing before his eyes. He held her tighter, shutting his eyes tight against the pain of his heart shattering, a pain that had never lessened with time, even with her right there with him.

Aeris immediately noticed the change in him, but waited a few minutes before asking, "What are you thinking?" She knew the answer, though. Even if it wasn't really what she wanted to talk about, he needed to get it out, talk to her about it.

"I just…" he began, then took a deep breath, trying to calm himself before asking simply, "You really don't blame me?"

"No, I don't, and you know it," she said firmly, but gently. "Have you ever known me to blame anyone for anything?"

"No, but death is different."

"Different from what? Nothing is simple enough to place blame on anyone, Cloud. Blame makes us believe that something should have happened some other way, that it would have been better some other way. If I hadn't died, the planet might have been destroyed by meteor, because the lifestream might not have come to the rescue. If it had anyway, and the planet survived, then the lifestream would be in much worse shape than it is now because no one would have been there to help the victims of Sephiroth's Geostigma. Everything worked out for the best because I died."

"But I've missed you." Cloud said in a trembling whisper that conveyed just how much the statement was true.

"And I've missed you too, but I'm right here now. The past is over and done with, so there's no point in worrying about it, is there?"

He let out a long breath, trying to force himself to calm down. The fingers she was trailing lightly over his arms were helping too. "I know."

"So for now, Cloud, concentrate on right now," She turned a bit to face him and brushed away a couple of tears that had escaped his eyes. "Right now we're together with nothing to worry about, so take advantage of it, ok?"

He chuckled slightly and leaned down so he could whisper into her ear, then in a silky voice, he asked, "To what extent, exactly, are you intending I take advantage of it?" Even though he was still struggling to push away his guilt and pain, he couldn't pass up the opportunity to tease her. Plus, the thought couldn't help but cheer him up a bit.

"Oh, quiet you!" Aeris laughed, shivering as his warm breath brushed against her skin. She pushed at his chest, though a bit harder than she meant to and she yelped as he fell backwards.

Cloud started laughing too, not bothering to get back up. It was amazing how quickly she was able to make him forget his worries. She'd always had that effect on him. After a minute he let go of her, then put his hands under his head and closed his eyes, enjoying the breeze and the simple presence of her beside him.

Aeris propped herself up on her elbow so she could watch him. "You know… " she started after a minute, "it's sort of strange… how we were never this close before—or at least, we never acted like it—but now it's as if we did, isn't it?"

He opened his eyes and gazed at her thoughtfully. "I guess we weren't really this close before, were we?" He said after a minute. "I'd forgotten that. I guess what I've wanted blended with what I remember, and then how you acted when I found you, that made it seem even more like we'd always been close." He chuckled and asked, "Why did you do that anyway? I wouldn't have expected you to be so…bold."

She giggled, heart fluttering a bit as she remembered how happy she'd been when he'd walked into the church. "I was so happy to see you, I couldn't resist," then she asked quietly, "You… didn't mind… did you?"

"Well, I don't wish you hadn't kissed me, if that's what you mean." He assured her, looking up at the sky, then sighed sadly, "At that moment though, I was just worried that I'd be recovering from it for the next few months." The sadness was suddenly replaced by an almost mischievous glint as he turned to her again, "I did like it though."

Aeris felt her heart speed up. "Oh really?" she asked him, leaning closer.

"Mhmm…" he lifted a hand to her cheek, caressing her skin, then slowly slipped it behind her neck.

She shivered at his touch, feeling oddly giddy as they simply looked at each other, then she bent down and touched her lips gently to his.

The kiss was gentle at first, but he'd been waiting too long to just leave it at that. He tilted his head, deepening the kiss and feeling her happily respond, completely unaware of wrapping his arms tightly around her. Aeris barely noticed it either; she was too distracted by the feelings racing through her—feelings she'd completely forgotten—and the impossibly soft lips pressing against hers.

They broke apart after a minute and she could only grin as she collapsed into the grass and snuggled into him.

Also grinning, to the point of making himself feel quite silly, Cloud rolled over and draped an arm over her middle, his heart still thumping.

"So…" Aeris started as she trailed her fingers along his chest, feeling herself blush slightly as she asked, "When… did you realize?"

He raised an eyebrow at her, cerulean eyes letting her know that he was completely lost to her meaning. "Realize what?"

She simply planted a short kiss on his lips in answer, instead of re-asking her question with clearer words. That would only spoil it for him when he got the courage to say it.

"Oh…" He considered it for a while, looking up at the sky and watching as the wispy clouds passed over them. He'd never actually thought about it—he hadn't really wanted to before, because it hurt too much—but when _had_ he realized she was more than a close friend? Finally, he said quietly, "I think… in that dream when you told me you were going to the City of the Ancients. I suddenly felt the need to stay with you, no matter what. I didn't really realize what I felt, but suddenly I was thinking of you differently. And then when Sephiroth showed up after you left…" He shivered at the memory, then turned to look into her emerald eyes, quickly noticing the concern in them—she was probably thinking he'd start feeling guilty again. He smiled in an attempt to reassure her; he wasn't going to fall into that hole again, not when they had so little time alone together. "Was it really you, in that dream?" He asked.

She giggled. "The way you're describing it means you already think it was, but to answer your question: Yes, it was really me."

Cloud laughed softly. "I'm relieved to hear that. I've been sort of worried that it was just Jenova or Sephiroth telling me what was happening." He was quiet for a moment, then he asked, "Could you do it again? Enter my dreams like that?"

She nearly burst out laughing at the hopeful tone in his voice. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but no, probably not. I don't really remember how I did it."

He sighed. "It'd be nice if it was actually you in my dreams and not my imagination. The real you is much better." He stroked a few stray locks of hair from her face, before asking, "So… when did _you _realize?"

She gazed at him thoughtfully for a minute. "I think when I had to leave you was when I fully realized," she said. "It was so much harder than I would have thought. But I'd been slowly noticing ever since our little date."

Cloud couldn't help but smile at that memory. That night was the one memory he had that was truly just the two of them. He even remembered being tempted to kiss her on the lips during the play, not just her hand like he had, but he'd been too surprised by the temptation to act on it, especially on stage, and for some reason he'd forgotten it afterwards. He sighed and moved closer to nuzzle into her neck.

They were silent for a while, then Aeris started playing with his single sleeve. He pulled back a little and glanced down at it as she asked, "Why do you still wear this? Wasn't it just to hide your Geostigma?"

"I suppose it was," he answered, a little surprised by the sudden question. "I guess I've just grown to like it."

She moved her hand to his upper arm, trying to feel for something through the fabric. "Do you still have that little ribbon tied on your arm too?"

"Yeah, it's sort of a habit it wear it now."

"And what made you like wolves?" She reached up to fiddle with his earring. I don't remember you ever saying you liked them before."

He shivered as her fingers ran softly over the sensitive skin. It felt unexpectedly good. "What's with all the questions?" he asked quietly, tilting his head so she could reach his ear better.

She giggled as he moved, binging her fingers down to his neck, tracing the well-defined muscles. She ignored his question and said, "They sort of suit you, though. You need people around or you're lost, just like wolves."

He felt himself relaxing more than he had in ages. "Hmm… I need _you _around," he mumbled, nuzzling closer to her neck again. After a minute he reluctantly reached up a hand to stop the fingers that were acting very much like a strong sleep spell. "That feels _really _good, Aeris," he said, trying to shake the urge to let her keep going, "but if you keep doing that I'm going to fall asleep, and there is a chance that there are monsters in the area who might find us to be a promising lunch. I need to keep my senses sharp."

Grinning, she lowered her hand, almost to Cloud's disappointment. "Not enough of a chance for you to bring your sword up here with us, but ok." She yawned widely, and he smiled.

"But, that doesn't mean _you_ can't take a nap. Here," He moved up a bit, then pulled her closer and reached up, running his fingers along her neck.

She shivered just like he had, then mumbled into his neck, "That does feel good, thanks. You sure I can take a nap?"

"You need it. Just don't be angry if I have to wake you up."

She simply wrapped an arm around him and let herself fall asleep, feeling completely safe and happy with him beside her.

* * *

Weiss stopped abruptly, watching the clouds in the morning sky, but searching for something beyond them, beyond the light blue ocean that sealed them off from the stars. A creeping sensation worked its way down his spine, and he squinted as the voices filled his mind, distant as they always were, but now more urgent. Concentrating, he tried to work out what they were saying.

"Weiss? Is something wrong?" Genesis asked, stopping a dozen feet in front of him.

Weiss held up a hand, signaling for him to wait. He closed his eyes, letting the images he was getting fill his vision. They were both silent for a moment longer, then Weiss suddenly turned around, running back toward the town they'd just left.

"Weiss!" Genesis called, quickly following. The ex-Tsviet was fast, and even he, an ex-First Class SOLDIER, had a hard time keeping up with him.

"We have to go to Kalm." Weiss said, slowing down slightly so Genesis could catch up. "The town's in danger."

Two emotions suddenly filled Genesis: excitement at finally being able to do something to aid the planet, and confusion at how Weiss knew about it. "How do you know? And why are we heading back to Junon if we need to go to Kalm?"

"I just know," Weiss said simply. He still wasn't allowed to say why, and he sincerely hopped Genesis would trust him for now without a better explanation. "As for our direction, travelling on foot, even for us, will be far too slow. We have to find faster transportation. I trust you will know how to find it in this city?"

"Yes," Genesis said, still a little stunned, now following Weiss through the town to the elevator that would take them to Junon City. He pushed away his questions, deciding to trust Weiss for now, and focused on getting them to Kalm. "When do we have to be there?"

Weiss felt his heart sink. Why had he not been told of this sooner? Rushing into the elevator with Genesis close behind him, he watched the doors close before stating, "In less than six hours."

Genesis turned to look at the metal wall in front of him as they ascended toward the city. "We can make it to Kalm in four hours if we can find a helicopter to take us." He sensed the white haired man nod, but didn't look over at him. He was having a hard time not asking how Weiss knew about this, or even simply believing him. When Weiss had stopped outside of town, he'd appeared to be listening to something, but what? Animals? The Wind? No. What was there to listen to that he himself couldn't have heard? There hadn't been any sudden sounds in that moment, nothing that could have any message of danger behind it. There was only one explanation that he could think of. He clenched a fist as a strange feeling twisted in his stomach, and that feeling scared him.

He'd felt it before.

* * *

--

* * *

_Yes, I told you it wasn't very good. Critique and sugestions welcome please!_

_The more I write of this, the more I realize just how out of practice I am with all types of writing. It's been at least eight months since I've written much of anything, so I'm very out of practice. Heh._

_The last part with Weiss and Genesis was going to be the beginning of the next chapter, but I decided to put it here to make a bit of a cliffhanger-type thing._

_I now have up to chapter 15 planned out, and several ideas for the rest of the story, so I'm not quite as lost with where the story is headed anymore. ^^_

_Next chapter should be up in about a week or so._


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